- I thought the Pens played a little bit better than the overall feeling. We hadquite a few shots and for the first time since like 2010 we actually had some consistent zone presence. TK is playing an overall bad game right now, though the past few games he made some things happen that lead to goals, overall he has been pretty bad.

- I said before the season started that everyone is under estimating losing Staal and replacing him with Sutter (since the other pieces of the trade are not playing in the big leagues yet). Sutter has played ok I guess, but he lacks the heavy part of the game Staal provided. That being said one of the biggest reasons I said that was because if Malkin or Crosby were out for any extended period of time, and they have been somewhat frequently over their short careers, that is when we are really gong to miss him.

Lets see what happens. Neal and Malkin, while people flip when they get criticized, were not playing very well at all at even strength. Their power play points mainly based off Neals rocket from the right slot have made their stats overstate their overall play. So I am curious to see what happens when Sutter centers apparently a rookie and Neal.

On the surface it doesnt look promising but maybe they will simplify their game and it will work out.

-Another Power Play goal. 10 games in a row.-Good puck possession, made FLA earn their chances. That's the way they need to play against every team.-Didn't think Crosby had a good game at all. Floated in the first period, got better as the game went on, but passing was awful.-Jeffrey has played well every game he plays. Unlike Tangradi, Boychuck, and Bennett (so far) he's shown he can finish.-Niskanen is getting back to where he was before injury.-Despres played well again. Not seeing the rookie mistakes he was making the first few games anymore.-Fleury with another great effort. -Hopefully Malkin won't be out too long. Looked like whiplash and wind knocked out of him to me. I'm not sure if his head actually hit the boards after the whiplash or not. -Malkin being out will likely hurt the pp the most. It might help get Neal and the LW used to cycling the puck to generate offense. That's something that line hasn't done at all this year and did well last year. -Good to get a home win. They have a bunch of home games coming up starting in the middle of March. Got to get on a roll at home.

Hawkeynut wrote:- I officially "hate" those blue jerseys.- Lazy, lethargic game until the 3rd.- Malkin neck meat... ugh.- A win is a win, but this could have been played better.

I disagree with points 2 and 4. They completely dominated puck possession and the physical side of the game pretty much the whole game. THIS was not lazy or lethargic at all. The idea that winning a systematic 3-1 game by wearing down a lesser team who had played the night before is EXACTLY what this team needed to do.

Had their goalie not played as well as he did, it could have been much worse.

If you wanted them to win 7-0, that is the exact mentality that produces those horrific losses like the Leafs game at home.

I was thoroughly entertained.

Agreed. This game called for a back-to-the-basics approach after the Philly craziness and with Malkin also suddenly out of the line up and the Pens consistently worked hard and disciplined to get a workmanlike win over a team that looked a little gassed from playing the night before.

For all the criticism that HCDB gets-right or wrong-he had the team prepared to play the kind of game last night that would produce a W and the players by and large stuck with it.

I think HCDB does his best coaching when his back is up against the wall (big name players out) and seems to make everyone play a more structured game. Look at the season both Crosby and Malkin were out... The Pens continued to win games and just came up short in the first round against Tampa (if Neal had meshed earlier they would have won that series for sure, plus Cooke was out with that suspension.

Still trying to figure out why the hit on Geno was not a boarding penalty & something that was reviewed by the league. According to the rules listed on NHL.coms rules page this hit fits the criteria. Geno was in a vulnerable position & even Gubranson said so. One of the videos they show a hit on Janni Pitkanen by Dan Carcillo that is almost the same type of hit & in the same position on the ice just before the goal line. That's the most frustrating thing about being a fan is the lack of consistant rules enforcement regardless of which team it is.

"A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously."